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Summary:: Oil lamp, circa 1880. Used at the Kew Mental Asylum circa 1872 - 1900, a psychiatric hospital in Victoria Australia. Could be hand-made.
Description:: Lamp consists of an open-sided hollow box with a round oil holder set in the base. The oil container is surmounted by a short chimney with a tooth-shaped porcelain wick-feeder inserted into the top. The wick protrudes out of this. The handle for regulating the wick is inserted into the metal part of the chimney. The bottom of the lantern has a round insulation hole beneath the oil container in the centre and 4 large studs for standing. The columns that constitute the sides of the box have an attached frame to hold glass windows. The roof of the box has a ventilation hole in the centre and brackets to support a semi-circular wire handle with a curl (for stable hanging) in the centre.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Kew Mental Hospital (Asylum), Office of Psychiatric Services

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	29.00 cm (Height), 14.50 cm (Width), 14.50 cm (Length)

Tagged with:	hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, lighting
Themes this item is part of:	Psychiatric Services Collection, Medicine in Society Collection, Public Life & Institutions Collection
Primary Classification:	MEDICINE & HEALTH
Secondary Classification:	Mental Health - Institutional Life
Tertiary Classification:	illumination
Place & Date Used:	Kew Mental Hospital (Asylum), Kew, Victoria, Australia, 1872-1900